ZAO NOODLE BAR has the answers to many of life's most pressing questions: I want Asian food, but what kind? I want great food, but where can I get it without putting a dent in my wallet? And where can I get both health and wisdom in a bowl?

The last is the guiding aspiration of Zao Noodle Bar, which offers four distinct Pacific Rim culinary traditions--Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese--complemented with a light California touch. Big steaming bowls filled with noodles and vegetables are accented with chicken, pork, beef, tofu or seafood and spiked with intense, vibrant flavors. Ingredients are always low fat, and the vegetables are crisp and fresh.

Entree prices, while not rock-bottom, are relatively inexpensive and reasonable, ranging from $6.95 to $8.95. The restaurant's atmosphere is hip, casual and stylish. The space is relatively small and narrow, but airy with high ceilings, an open kitchen, lightly stained wood tables and chairs, exposed concrete walls and abstract art. Beverages include Thai iced tea, sake, beer, wine, sake-based cocktails, Vietnamese coffee and specially blended full-leaf teas.